NewsNote: Tiger Woods’ Buddhist Confession (Al Mohler). "Americans are accustomed to a certain kind of public confession, argues Susan Wise Bauer -- and that means a confession that is shaped by the Christian faith. Indeed, in her seminal book, The Art of the Public Grovel, Bauer argues that Americans are actually accustomed to a public confession that she describes as Augustinian."


 

God watches you Google (Tim Challies). "In 2006, AOL made an epic misjudgment. As part of a research project headed by Dr. Abdur Chowdhury, AOL made available to the public a massive amount of search data, releasing the search history of 650,000 users over a 3-month period. That totaled some twenty one million searches."

Eating Our Young, Killing our Old: A Looming Crisis? (Breakpoint).  "I enjoy reading David Brooks’ columns in the New York Times. He’s not your typical columnist. He usually takes a “big picture” view of the challenges facing our society. Now I don’t always agree with his positions, but I benefit from his often-provocative take..."

STR for Students

New Website by Stand to Reason for Students (Stand to Reason Place...Just Think)

Talking with your children about marriage & sex

Talking with your children about marriage & sex (Jay Younts, there are six parts in this series) "One of the more dreaded of parental responsibilities is telling children about sex. This conversation is often so awkward that both parent and child wonder what good could come from it. Sometimes, there is no actual conversation. A parent might hand a book to his or her child and say, "Read this and let me know if you have any questions." There is a degree of irony in this awkwardness. On the one hand, it is almost impossible to avoid being confronted with sex. Movies, billboards, commercials, songs, news reports, casual conversations, TV programs etc., form a cultural bombardment of sexual themes that invade daily life. On the other hand, at least in most Christian households, sex is not talked about as a part of regular family conversation."

The Shack

The Shack’ & the missing art of evangelical discernment (Al Mohler) "The publishing world sees very few books reach blockbuster status, but William Paul Young's "The Shack" has now exceeded even that. The book, originally self-published by Young and two friends, has now sold more than 10 million copies and has been translated into over thirty languages. It is now one of the best-selling paperback books of all time, and its readers are enthusiastic."

Where are the Young Men?

Where are the Young Men? (Al Mohler). "A visit to your local college or university campus is likely to reveal that a revolution has taken place. On many campuses, young women now outnumber young men, and a gender gap of momentous importance is staring us in the face. This gender gap has been growing for some time now, as successive generations of young women have entered the world of higher education. Yet, no one seemed to see a gap of this magnitude coming -- until it had already happened."

Imprisoned in Haiti

Imprisoned In Haiti (Tim Challies) "Last spring I received an email from a reader of this site who asked if I would be able to send an inscribed copy of The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment to a young man who was just graduating high school. This would serve as a small graduation gift. I was glad to do so and sent the book to Silas Thompson. You may know that name now as Silas is currently in a Haitian prison, arrested and charged with child abduction and criminal association. He is there with his father Paul and eight other Americans. You have undoubtedly heard of the story through the media..."

Miracles & Acts of Providence

Miracles and Acts of Providence (Phil Johnson) "There's a vast difference between God's constant providential control over the natural order of everyday events and His occasional miraculous intervention in worldly affairs. If you have difficulty understanding the diffference, here's a real-life illustration that I hope will help..."

Why Antidepressants are No Better than Placebos

Why Antidepressants are No Better than Placebos (Newsweek) "Although the year is young, it has already brought my first moral dilemma. In early January a friend mentioned that his New Year's resolution was to beat his chronic depression once and for all. Over the years he had tried a medicine chest's worth of antidepressants, but none had really helped in any enduring way, and when the side effects became so unpleasant that he stopped taking them, the withdrawal symptoms (cramps, dizziness, headaches) were torture. Did I know of any research that might help him decide whether a new antidepressant his doctor recommended might finally lift his chronic darkness at noon?"

Tim Tebow's Super Bowl Ad

Is Tim Tebow’s Super Bowl Ad Intolerant? (Washington Post) "I'll spit this out quick, before the armies of feminism try to gag me and strap electrodes to my forehead: Tim Tebow is one of the better things to happen to young women in some time. I realize this stance won't endear me to the "Dwindling Organizations of Ladies in Lockstep," otherwise known as DOLL, but I'll try to pick up the shards of my shattered feminist credentials and go on."

The Unpardonable Sin

Have You Committed The Unpardonable Sin? (Ed Welch) "With all the attention being given to addictions and lusts, the scrupulous among us can feel neglected. But, just as there is an addict within us all, so is there a legalist who feels guilty and never able to measure up. Here is something for the legalist within. Pound-for-pound, the passage on the unpardonable sin can deliver the most guilt in all Scripture."